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Catholic schools deal reached Labour peace assured for some York Region students BY KIM ZARZOUR
kzarzour@yrmg.com
Catholic schools in York Region may be one of only two regions in Ontario enjoying labour peace this fall. York Region Catholic school board trustees announced yesterday they will sign on to a deal between the province and the Ontario English Catholic Teacher’s Association. Toronto’s Catholic board was the first to reach agreement, sealing the two-year deal with the province earlier this month. However, about a dozen other Catholic boards, mainly in southwest Ontario, have reached an impasse and filed for conciliation, union spokesperson Michelle Despault said. York Catholic board chairperson Elizabeth Crowe said her board’s settlement is a result of a good relationship with its employees. “We want everyone to start the year off knowing everything’s been resolved ... When there’s no anxiety, then students can learn in the classroom.” The framework agreement, which Education Minister Laurel Broten calls a road map for the rest of the province, includes a salary freeze, loss of banked sick days and a reduction in sick days to 10 per year. York Catholic teachers do not vote on the framework deal, but will spend the next few weeks “tweaking” non-monetary details, such as school transfers, with the board, Ms Crowe said. The agreement prevents the automatic rollSee AUTOMATIC, page 28.
STAFF PHOTO/SJOERD WITTEVEEN
Frank Marchese, who with Michael Piccolo (right) runs Italian eatery Tutti Panini, feeds a veal panini to Regional Councillor Vito Spatafora to promote Sunday’s Taste of the Hill multicultural food festival, benefiting the food bank and the mayor’s fund for the arts. A new format will be offered this year, as it spreads outdoors at Richmond Green Park for the first time.
Tastes of the Hill serves up outdoor fun BY ADAM MC LEAN
amclean@yrmg.com
Tastes of the Hill is taking things outdoors this year, as the town’s multicultural food festival grows bigger than ever. Held annually at Richmond Green, the event has outgrown the confines of the sports complex where it has been held the past six years. Organizers also say this year’s event will feature more of a carnival atmosphere.
Complete with multicultural dance and musical acts, a children’s play area, midway, intercultural education village and, of course, food vendors, this Sunday’s event will be the largest Tastes of the Hill yet. “It’s exciting that the event is growing, but it’s also a lot of work,” festival founder and chairperson Regional Councillor Vito Spatafora said. “But it’s always a fun way to give back to the community and for people to have a good time.”
When he established the festival, Mr. Spatafora used it as a fundraiser for an election campaign. Such was the event’s success, he decided to continue Tastes of the Hill, but to help charities. Every year since, local groups have benefited from money raised at the food festival and this year’s recipients will be the Richmond Hill Food Bank and the Mayor’s Endowment Fund for the Arts. See CORN ROAST, page 9.
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